Ask Governor Pence to Reach a Compromise in Committee and Move SB352 to the Floor for a Vote–We Urgently Need Your Help!
This week, the board of HEAR, along with national Adoption Legal Expert & Attorney Elizabeth Samuels testified in front of the Indiana House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, in favor of House Bill SB352. Unfortunately, Lindsay Craig of the Governor’s office came to testify that the Governor’s office was opposed to the bill. “We feel the bill changes the rules of the game for birth parents after the fact (presuming that they were promised confidentiality in the first place),” she said, “and if we are going to change the rules of the game, maybe we should at least change the way we are handling things, like doing a better job of notifying birth parents that a do-not contact form is available if they want one, or maybe moving the date out that it takes effect from one year to two.” Committee members have held the bill for consideration, saying that they would rather any amendments to the bill come in their committee, rather than on the House floor. We believe a compromise is very possible, and can be reached. Drawing up a plan for notification is easy using existing state resources, such as driver’s license renewal slips, post office posters, or tapping existing unused public service announcement budgets for existing adoption-oriented programs like the putative father registry. However, WE MUST NOT LET THIS BILL LANGUISH in committee, which is a very real possibility. We need you, your family and your friends to call the Governor’s office without delay to let him know how important this bill is to the future of Indiana families. Tell him we can’t have an adoption friendly state, without taking care of ALL our Indiana adoptees! Support a compromise for SB352!
Call the Governor’s Office today at 317-232-4567
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